Apparatus and methods for controlling a ventilation mechanism

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure generally provides controls, apparatus, systems and methods for controlling a ventilation mechanism to efficiently manage the relative humidity of an area. The controls, apparatus, systems and methods utilize sensed relative humidity information and one or more inputs to provide for efficient automatic and/or manual control a ventilation mechanism in response to high humidity events within the area. The controls, apparatus, systems and methods provided herein efficiently automatically activate a ventilation mechanism through the use of sensed relative humidity information and user input. The controls, apparatus, systems and methods provided herein efficiently automatically deactivate a ventilation mechanism through the use of sensed relative humidity information and user input.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to controls, apparatus, systemsand methods for managing the humidity of an area.

BACKGROUND

Ventilation mechanisms, such as exhaust fans, are typically used inbathrooms and other high humidity areas to manage or control thehumidity and moisture levels that occur during and after, for example, ashower, bath or other high humidity event that increases the humidityand/or moisture levels in the area. Commonly, the control of ventilationmechanisms is accomplished by “on” and “off” switches. These switchesprovide basic functionality via manual operation of the control. In manycases, however, a user will turn the ventilation mechanism on but notremember to turn the ventilation mechanism off or not leave it on longenough. Such activity leads to the waste either of energy when theventilation mechanism runs longer than is needed and/or inadequatemoisture removal.

To address these concerns, countdown timers are occasionally used as acontrol mechanism. Countdown timer controls still require manualactivation, but automatically turn off the ventilation mechanism withoutuser intervention. Countdown timer controls can still lead to energywaste and/or inadequate moisture removal when the countdown time isinadequate for a particular high humidity/moisture event. Countdowntimer controls can also lead to frustration from users when theventilation mechanism is turned off too early, such as while a bath orshower is still taking place.

There is a need for further controls, apparatus, system, and methods formanaging the humidity of an area.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a control forautomatically turning off a ventilation mechanism that was turned on atan activation time to manage relative humidity in an area. The controlincludes an interface operable to obtain a run time input, and whereinthe control is operable to receive relative humidity information sensedin the area by at least one relative humidity sensor and automaticallyturn off the ventilation mechanism when a) a period of time after theactivation time corresponds to about the run time input, b) a sensedrelative humidity level in the area is about or less than a firstthreshold relative humidity level, and, c) the sensed relative humiditylevel is either i) about or less than a second threshold relativehumidity level different from the first threshold relative humiditylevel or ii) between about the first threshold relative humidity leveland the second threshold relative humidity level.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method forautomatically turning off a ventilation mechanism that was turned on atan activation time to manage relative humidity in an area. The methodincludes comprising receiving relative humidity information sensed inthe area, receiving run time input, and utilizing the sensed relativehumidity information and the run time input to automatically turn offthe ventilation mechanism when: a) a period of time after the activationtime corresponds to about the run time input, b) a sensed relativehumidity level in the area is about or less than a first thresholdrelative humidity level, and c) the sensed relative humidity level iseither i) about or less than a second threshold relative humidity leveldifferent from the first threshold relative humidity level, or ii)between about the first threshold relative humidity level and a secondthreshold relative humidity level.

DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosurewill become apparent from the following detailed description of thevarious aspects of the disclosure taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a ventilation systemin accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary installation of anexemplary control of the ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a portion of an exemplary control interface ofthe ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a graph depicting relative humidity levels of an area overtime as managed by the ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method fordeactivating or turning off the ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting the use of a prior art occupancy sensorillumination mechanism control; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting the use of an exemplary occupancy andhumidity sensor illumination mechanism control in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to managementof humidity and/or condensation in an area. For example, the presentdisclosure may be operable for controlling a bathroom fan or ventilationfan. In addition, aspects of the present disclosure may allow for theability to manage humidity in a variety of different circumstances, forexample, by providing user-selectable adjustable inputs that may allowfor customization and/or optimization in the management of humidity in avariety of locations and under a variety of circumstances. An interfacesuch as a user interface may be provided and operable for receivinguser-selectable adjustable inputs for use in managing the humidityand/or condensation in an area. Activation of a fan may be based onuser-selectable adjustable inputs such as a sensitivity adjustment forcontrolling response to a change in humidity, a time adjustment forsetting a minimum time a fan will be on, and a humidity adjustment forsetting a minimum humidity level. The present disclosure is alsogenerally directed to turning off the fan such as but not limited tocustomizing and/or optimizing the deactivating or turning off of a fanto manage of humidity and/or condensation in an area.

Other aspects of the present disclosure may include the ability toautomatically or manually turn off the fan which was activated due tosmall event triggering, e.g., a rise in humidity that only lasts a shorttime such as washing one hands and not a shower. Still other aspects ofthe present disclosure may include humidity management having adaptivelearning capability to manage changing humidity over relatively longperiods of times, e.g. due to changes in seasonal ambient conditionssuch as different humidity levels observed in spring, summer, fall, andwinter seasons of a year. The adaptive learning capability may be astandalone capability (e.g., without requiring user input) or may beimplemented based initially on user-selected inputs. Other aspects ofthe present disclosure may include management of humidity based on acombination of an occupancy sensor with a humidity sensor. Furtheraspects for managing humidity are described below.

Each embodiment presented below facilitates the explanation of certainaspects of the disclosure, and should not be interpreted as limiting thescope of the disclosure. Moreover, approximating language, as usedherein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modifyany quantitative representation that could permissibly vary withoutresulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related.Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” isnot limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, theapproximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrumentfor measuring the value. When introducing elements of variousembodiments, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements. As usedherein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of anoccurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specifiedproperty, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb byexpressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibilityassociated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “maybe” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable,or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while takinginto account that in some circumstances, the modified term may sometimesnot be appropriate, capable, or suitable. Any examples of operatingparameters are not exclusive of other parameters of the disclosedembodiments. Components, aspects, features, configurations,arrangements, uses and the like described, illustrated or otherwisedisclosed herein with respect to any particular embodiment may similarlybe applied to any other embodiment disclosed herein.

As described in further detail below, the present disclosure providesfor controls, apparatus, systems and methods for automatically andmanually controlling ventilation mechanism to manage the relativehumidity level of an area in response to a high humidity/moisture event.The controls, apparatus, systems and methods may provide the ability tomanage humidity of an area in a variety of different circumstances. Thecontrols, apparatus, systems and methods may provide user adjustableinputs that allow the controls, apparatus, systems and methods to beflexible and customizable so that they perform advantageously in avariety of locations, circumstances and user preferences. Further, ashumidity levels in an area will depend on factors such as but notlimited to the size of the area, the availability of air flow into thearea, and the strength of the ventilation mechanism, a need exists forcontrols, apparatus, systems and methods for automatically and manuallycontrolling a ventilation mechanism that provide flexibility inoperation to provide acceptable performance in all environmental andinstallation scenarios.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a ventilation system 5is shown. The ventilation system 5 may include a ventilation mechanismcontrol 10 for manual and automatic control of at least one ventilationmechanism 12. The ventilation mechanism control 10 may be operable tomanually or automatically selectively provide a load control signal to,or otherwise control, the ventilation mechanism 12 such that theventilation mechanism 12 evacuates, changes, or replaces the air, orotherwise processes the air or environment in an area 11 about theventilation mechanism 12 to lower the relative humidity, moisture and/orcondensation level of the area. Similarly, the control 10 may beoperable or configured to manually or automatically control theventilation mechanism 12 such that the ventilation mechanism 12 stopsprocessing the air or environment in the area 11 when the humidity leveltherein has returned to an acceptable level. The control 10 maycommunicate with the ventilation mechanism 12 via a connection 14. Theconnection 14 between the control 10 and the ventilation mechanism 12may be a direct or indirect connection, and may be a wired or wirelessconnection. The control 10 may be operable or configured to control, orcommunicate with, a load controlling device or conductive switch (notshown) that is in electrical connection with the ventilation mechanism.For example, the controllable conductive switch may be in electricalseries connection between a power supply and the ventilation mechanism.The controllably conductive switch may alter operation of theventilation mechanism by, for example, turning the ventilation mechanismon or off, or by altering the speed or ventilation power or efficiencyof the ventilation mechanism; e.g., adjust the speed of a ventilationfan.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the control 10 and its variouscomponents may be operable or configured in an electrical box 100positioned on or in a wall 102. The control 10, positioned in theelectrical box 100, may be wired to, or otherwise coupled with, theremote ventilation mechanism 12. In alternative embodiments, the control10 may be integral with the ventilation mechanism 12.

With reference again to FIG. 1 and as explained further below, thecontrol 10 may be operable or configured to include one or more modes ofoperation in which the control 10 automatically activates and/ordeactivates (i.e., turns on and/or off) ventilation mechanism 12 basedon programmed logic and/or user input. The control 10 may be operable orconfigured to include one or more modes of operation in which thecontrol 10 automatically turns on and/or off the ventilation mechanism12 based on a combination of programmed logic, user input, and currentor relatively sensed recent environmental conditions.

The ventilation mechanism 12 may be any mechanism effective in managingor lowering the relative humidity or moisture level in the area 11 aboutthe ventilation mechanism 12. The ventilation mechanism 12 may be one ormore exhaust fans or dehumidifiers. The ventilation mechanism 12 and thecontrol 10 may be situated or installed in the same area, or the control10 may be remote from the ventilation mechanism 12 (and thereby the areain which the humidity or moisture level is managed). The ventilationmechanism 12 may be situated or installed in the ceiling of an area orroom, such as but not limited to a bathroom, and the control 10 may besituated or installed on the wall of the area or room. The control 10may be integral with ventilation mechanism 12. For example, theventilation mechanism may include the control and be installable in theceiling or wall of a room.

With reference still to FIG. 1, the control 10 may include severalcomponents. For example, the control 10 may include processor a 16, amemory 18, an atmospheric sensor 20, and a control interface 22. Theprocessor 16 and memory 18 may comprise a microprocessor. The processor16, memory 18, atmospheric sensor 20, and interface 22 may be within ahousing 27 of the control 10. The atmospheric sensor may measure/detectatmospheric variables including one or more of temperature, humidity,pressure, air flow, light, vapor, etc.

The processor 16, memory 18, atmospheric sensor 20 and/or interface 22may not be in the housing 27, and be operable or configured tocommunicate with the other component(s). For example, the interface 22may be provided by, or incorporated with, a wireless communicationdevice, such as a smart phone 22′ shown in FIG. 1. In another example,the atmospheric sensor 20 may be separate from the processor 16, thememory 18, and the interface 22.

The processor 16 and memory 18 may be configured or otherwise operableto process atmospheric information, such as relative humidityinformation and/or temperature information, provided by, at least inpart, from the atmospheric sensor 20 and one or more user input providedvia the interface 22 according to logic stored in the memory 18 toautomatically and manually control the ventilation mechanism 12. In thisway, the control 10 may be operable or configured to manually andautomatically manage or lower the relative humidity of the area 11 inwhich the ventilation mechanism 12 is installed.

The control 10 may be capable of executing an application. Theapplication, which may be comprised of computer readable program code,may reside on one or more memories of the control 10. The term “logic”used herein may refer to computer readable program code or softwareexecuted by processing circuits on the control 10. The memory 18 mayinclude, but is not limited to, computer readable program code orsoftware (i.e., the logic).

The atmospheric sensor 20 may provide information relating to therelative humidity of the environment. For example, the atmosphericsensor 20 may provide an electrical signal that corresponds to arelative humidity reading at a particular time. The control 10 may beoperable or configured to read the electrical signal of the atmosphericsensor 20 and, thereby, determine the relative humidity of the area andapply logic stored in (or provided to) the control 10 to determine if,for example, the ventilation mechanism 12 should be automaticallyactivated or deactivated.

The atmospheric sensor 20 may be operable or configured to provideinformation relating to the change in relative humidity of theenvironment, and/or the control 10 may be operable or configured todetermine the change in relative humidity based on the relative humidityinformation provided by the atmospheric sensor 20. In this way, thecontrol 10 may be operable or configured to utilize the change inrelative humidity of the area with the logic stored in the memory 18 todetermine if, for example, the ventilation mechanism 12 should beactivated or deactivated. The atmospheric sensor 20 may be positioned ina location that is optimal for favorable humidity detection of an area,and via wired or wireless communication transmit the relative humidityinformation to another component of the control 10, such as theprocessor 16 or the memory 18. The atmospheric sensor 20 may be part ofa building automation system.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the control 10 (FIG. 1) may include interface22. The interface 22 may include one or more selectable input mechanismsthat are operable to enable a user to input or set the control 10(FIG. 1) in a particular mode and to input or set certain parameters ofthe control utilized in the automatic activation and deactivation (i.e.,on/off) logic of the control, as shown in FIG. 3. The exemplaryinterface 22 of the exemplary control 10 may include a plurality ofselectable input mechanisms, including a selectable time input mechanism24, a selectable sensitivity input mechanism 26, and a selectablehumidity level or humidistat input mechanism 28. As shown in FIG. 3,each selectable input mechanism may include a number of predetermineddiscrete selection values or settings that a user can select via theparticular mechanism. The selectable input mechanisms may allow the userto input any value (i.e., not select between predetermined or discretevalues). Each of the selectable input mechanisms may be any type of userselectable input mechanism, such as rotatable selectors, slidableselectors, pushbuttons, etc.

In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, each of the time inputmechanism 24, sensitivity input mechanism 26, and selectable humidistatinput mechanism 28 may be a trim potentiometer with selectable inputvalues (e.g., substantive or non-zero values) or mode(s) based on theangular position of the particular trim potentiometer. The interface 22of the control 10 (FIG. 1) may be operable or configured such that theuser input value or mode selection of each of the selectable time inputmechanism 24, selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26, andselectable humidistat input mechanism 28 is considered or otherwisetaken into account by the logic contained therein to manually orautomatically activate (i.e., turn on) and thereafter deactivate (i.e.,turn off) the ventilation mechanism 12 (FIG. 1).

The selectable time input mechanism 24 may be operable to select from,or input, any number of time unit settings. The control 10 (FIG. 1) maybe operable, configured, or programmed to receive, interpret, orotherwise use the time unit setting (i.e., amount or period of time)settings of the selectable time input mechanism 24. For example, thetime unit setting may be a minimum run or “on” time of the ventilationmechanism 12 for one or more (e.g., all) of the modes provided by thecontrol (e.g., the time unit setting may correspond to a run time of theventilation mechanism when one of the automatic or manual modes of thecontrol initiates activation of the ventilation mechanism). Theselectable time input mechanism 24 (and the time unit setting associatedtherewith) allows different users of the control that may experiencelevels of humidity differently, and therefore desire more or lessmoisture elimination, to customize the control to their needs orpreferences.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the selectable time inputmechanism 24 of the interface 22 includes a plurality of discreteselectable time unit settings (e.g., time or timeout settings)corresponding to discrete units of time. A user may engage theselectable time input mechanism 24 and select between, or otherwiseinput, a time value corresponding with a visual and/or tactileindication on the interface 22 and/or selectable time input mechanism24. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the interface 22 includestime unit settings (e.g., time or timeout settings) for the selectabletime input mechanism 24 visually indicated by “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4”.The user selectable time or timeout settings associated with theselectable time input mechanism 24 may be programmed into the control(e.g., saved into memory). For example, in the exemplary illustrativeembodiment of FIG. 3, the “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4” setting indications ofthe selectable time input mechanism 24 may correspond to input timevalues or units of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes,respectively. In alternative embodiments, any number of the discretetime units may be selectable or input via the time input mechanism 24,and the discrete time units may be of any length, interval, or otherconfiguration metric. In addition, and “OFF” setting indication orposition indication may be provided. Further, the user could be providedwith a means to specify a multiplier which could be used to applymultiples to predetermined time units.

Similar to the selectable time input mechanism 24, the selectablehumidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 may be operable to select from,or input, any number of relative humidity sensitivity settingscorresponding to, for example, relative humidity sensitivity settings.The control 10 (FIG. 1) may be operable or configured such that the userselected sensitivity settings of the sensitivity input mechanism 26correspond to a user's desired sensitivity, if any, of the automaticactivation of the ventilation mechanism 12 (FIG. 1) by the control inresponse to a measured change of the relative humidity of the area beingmanaged as indicated by the atmospheric sensor 20 (FIG. 1). For example,in areas or locations with low ambient humidity it may be desirable sothat rapid or significant changes in humidity activate or turn on thefan. In areas or locations with high ambient humidity, it may bedesirable for slow or small changes in humidity to activate or turn onthe fan.

In the illustrative exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the selectablesensitivity input mechanism 26 of the interface 22 includes selectablesensitivity humidity settings, and an “OFF” setting. For example, asshown in FIG. 3, a user may manually engage the selectable sensitivityinput mechanism 26 and select between, or otherwise input, a sensitivitylevel corresponding with a visual and/or tactile indication on theinterface. For example, the interface 22 may include settings for theselectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 visually indicated by“OFF,” “LOW,” “MED,” and “HIGH.” The sensitivity setting may be set bythe humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 and may be programmed intothe control 10. For example, the “LOW,” “MED,” and “HIGH” settings ofthe selectable sensitivity input mechanism 26 may correspond to arespective low sensitivity of the control in response to a detectedchange of the humidity, a medium sensitivity of the control in responseto a detected change of the humidity, and a high sensitivity of thecontrol in response to a detected change of the humidity. For example,the control may contain logic in which (depending upon the particularmode set by the user), generally, the “LOW” sensitivity setting requiresa relatively large rapid change in relative humidity for the control 10to automatically activate the ventilation mechanism, the “MED” humiditysensitivity setting requires a relatively intermediate/moderate changein relative humidity for the control 10 to automatically activate theventilation mechanism, and the “HIGH” humidity sensitivity settingrequires a relatively small slow change in relative humidity for thecontrol 10 to automatically activate the ventilation mechanism 12. The“LOW,” “MED,” and “HIGH” settings may correspond to discrete values orlevels, or each of the “LOW,” “MED,” and “HIGH” settings may correspondto a range of values as described further below. Further, the “OFF”indication of the selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 mayinstruct the control 10 (i.e., the logic contained therein) to notconsider (e.g., rendering void) a detected f change of humidity indetermining if the ventilation mechanism 12 (FIG. 1) should beautomatically activated or deactivated. In this way, the “OFF” settingof the humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 may eliminate the sizeand/or rate of change of relative humidity as a factor affecting thedetermination of control 10 (FIG. 1) automatically activating ordeactivating the ventilation mechanism 12 (FIG. 1). As explained furtherbelow, if a user utilizes the selectable sensitivity input mechanism 26to select a sensitivity setting other than “OFF,” certain modes ofoperation of the control 10 (FIG. 1) are available to the user (andselectable via the other input mechanisms of the interface 22) and therate of change of relative humidity may be utilized as a factoraffecting the determination of whether the control automaticallyactivates and/or deactivates the ventilation mechanism. The humiditysensitivity input mechanism 26 thereby allows the user to select orinput how the control 10 (FIG. 1) responds (i.e., activates ordeactivates the ventilation mechanism) to a change in relative humidity.Such a feature may be advantageous as users in areas with low ambientrelative humidity may need large/rapid changes in relative humidity totrigger activation of the ventilation mechanism to effectively managethe relative humidity of the area, while users in areas with highambient relative humidity may need small/slow changes in relativehumidity to trigger activation of the ventilation mechanism toeffectively manage the relative humidity of the area as high humidityevents (e.g., showers or baths) will cause smaller changes in ambientrelative humidity in such high ambient relative humidity areas.

The control 10 (FIG. 1) and/or the selectable humidity sensitivity inputmechanism 26 may be operable or configured such that a user can utilizethe selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 to select betweena range of sensitivity settings between or about the visually indicatedor marked “LOW,” “MED,” and “HIGH” settings. The selectable humiditysensitivity input mechanism 26 may be a trim potentiometer or othersimilarly utilized mechanism, and the position of the mechanism 26 withrespect to the “LOW”, “MED,” and “HIGH” indications corresponds to auser selected relative programmed humidity sensitivity setting (i.e.,the selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26 provides for morethan three discrete substantive humidity sensitivity settings).

With reference again to FIG. 3, the control 10 may be operable orconfigured such that the selectable settings of the selectable humiditysensitivity input mechanism 26 (e.g., LOW, MED, HIGH sensitivity settingand, potentially, settings, therebetween) correspond to relative ratesof change of relative humidity and/or fixed relative humiditythresholds/set-offs. The user selectable rates of change in relativehumidity and/or thresholds/set-offs (i.e., humidity sensitivitysettings) may be utilized, depending upon the user selected mode of thecontrol 10. The logic of the control 10 using the user selectedsensitivity level, may be operable to determine whether the ventilationmechanism 12 should be automatically activated or deactivated. Aparticular user selected sensitivity setting that is set by theselectable sensitivity input mechanism 26, which is constant andindependent of ambient conditions, may work well for some environmentalconditions.

However, humidity levels of an area may change significantly over time,a user selected, dynamically changing humidity sensitivity level mayimprove performance of the control 10 in managing relative humidity ofthe area via the ventilation mechanism 12. The sensitivity inputmechanism 26 may include a dynamically variable sensitivityconfiguration, such that the sensitivity settings thereof correspond to,e.g., ranges of change/rates of change in relative humidity. A user mayretain the ability to set their overall or general desired level ofhumidity sensitivity level, but the level can be modified by the control10 within the corresponding range of sensitivities (e.g., rates ofchange in relative humidity and/or relative humiditythresholds/set-offs). For example, the control 10 may be operable orconfigured to modify or choose a predetermined change/rate of change inrelative humidity utilized by the logic of the control 10 based onprevailing ambient conditions of the area. Dynamic sensitivity levelsettings of the selectable sensitivity input mechanism 26 may providethe control 10 with the capacity to adjust to the prevailing conditionsand recognize a high humidity event (e.g., a shower) as a trigger foractivating the ventilation mechanism 12 even in the presence of highhumidity. Specifically, in such prevailing conditions, the control 10may be operable or configured to choose a particular humiditysensitivity level that falls within the high end of the “LOW” humiditysensitivity level range (e.g., a level that requires a slightly smallerchange and/or less rapid change in humidity). In this way, the control10 may be operable or configured to choose or adjust the specifichumidity sensitivity level, within the parameters chosen or input by theuser, that is utilized by the logic in determining whether theventilation mechanism 12 should be automatically activated ordeactivated (as described further below).

With reference to FIG. 2, the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28may be operable to select from, or input, any number of relativehumidity values and modes of the control 10. The control 10 may beoperable or configured, in mode, such that the user input or setrelative humidity value setting limits the ventilation mechanism 12 fromactivating only when the relative humidity detected by the humiditysensor 18 is above the input or set relative humidity value setting,e.g. the humidistat input mechanism may prescribe a humidity thresholdbelow which the control 10 operates in 1 manual on/off mode.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28may include one or more discrete selectable humidity value or levelsetting indications corresponding to the limits of the humidity value orlevel settings available to the user. For example, a user may engage theselectable humidistat input mechanism 28 and select between, orotherwise input, a humidity value corresponding with a visual and/ortactile indication on the interface 22 and/or the selectable humidistatinput mechanism 28. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the interface22 includes two humidity value or level settings for the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28 visually indicated by “20” and “80,”however it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatany number of selectable humidity value or level settings may be usedand the level setting(s) may be of any value. Furthermore, it should bereadily understood that the user could select from a complete range ofvalves between and beyond these indicated on the humidistat inputmechanism 28. The user selectable humidity values or level settingsassociated with the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 may beprogrammed into the control 10 (e.g., saved into memory 18). Forexample, the “20” and “80” setting indications of the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28 may correspond to relative humidity valuesor levels of 20% and 80%, respectively, and may define the lower andupper limits of a range of humidity values or level settings availablefor selection by the user via the selectable humidistat input mechanism28. In this way, if the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 ispositioned by the user half way or midway between the “20” and “80”setting indications, the user may input, set or select a humidity valueor level limit setting of about 50% relative humidity.

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that when theselectable humidistat input mechanism 28 inputs a relative humidityvalue or level within the lower and upper limits of the humidity valuesor levels available for selection, the control 10 may be operable orconfigured to operate in a mode that utilizes a sensed relative humidityof the atmospheric sensor 20 as criteria (i.e., utilized in logic) fordetermining whether the control 10 automatically activates ordeactivates the ventilation mechanism 12 at a particular point in time.

The selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 may also provide for theselection of other modes of operation of the control 10 in whichrelative humidity sensed or detected by the atmospheric 20 is notutilized as criteria for determining whether the control 10automatically activates or deactivates the ventilation mechanism 12. Forexample, the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 may include an“OFF” setting. The “OFF” setting of the humidistat input mechanism 28may instruct the control (i.e., the logic contained therein) to operatein a mode in which the control does not consider (e.g., renders void orignores) a sensed or detected relative humidity value or level from theatmospheric 20 in determining if the ventilation mechanism should beactivated or deactivated. In this way, the “OFF” setting of thehumidistat input mechanism 28 may set the control in one or more modes(e.g., depending upon the selection or input of the selectable humiditysensitivity input mechanism 26) that eliminates the relative humiditylevel or value as criteria for determining whether the control activatesor deactivates the ventilation mechanism.

The selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 may include an “AIR CYCLE”setting. The “AIR CYCLE” setting of the humidistat input mechanism 28may instruct the control 10 (i.e., the logic contained therein) tooperate in an air cycle mode (e.g., regardless of the selection or inputof the selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26) in which thecontrol does not consider (e.g., renders void or ignores) a detectedrelative humidity value or level in determining when/if the ventilationmechanism should be turned activated or deactivated, as describedfurther below.

The interface 22 may include engageable manual command mechanism 30. Thecommand mechanism 30 may be operable or configured to enable a user tomanually set, initiate, cease or otherwise manually command the control10 to operate (or stop operating) in a particular mode, setting or thelike, as explained further below. The command mechanism 30 may be anon/off switch or a push pad arrangement or mechanism. The commandmechanism 30 may be operable or configured to return to a neutralarrangement or position after it is manually actuated or utilized by auser.

As explained above, the control 10 may be operable or configured tooperate in one of a plurality of modes, and such modes may be controlledby a user based on the user settings, selections or inputs, such as viathe selectable time input mechanism 24, selectable humidity sensitivityinput mechanism 26, selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 and,potentially, the command mechanism 30. In the exemplary embodiment shownin FIG. 3, the control 10 is operable or configured to operate in one ormore auto modes, a humidistat mode, an air cycle mode, and a timer mode.Each mode of the control 10 commands, controls or otherwise managesactivation and deactivation of the ventilation mechanism 12 according todifferent logic schemes to suit a particular need or desire of the userand/or the environmental conditions (e.g., relative humidity,temperature, etc.) of the area being managed by the control 10 and theventilation mechanism. From the present description, it will beappreciated that the interface may include a display screen and one ormore buttons operable for entering or setting one or more of the abovenoted inputs.

A first auto mode of the control 10 may be input, set, initiated orotherwise selected by a user by inputting or selecting a substantiverelative humidity setting of the selectable humidistat input mechanism28 (i.e., a setting other than “OFF,” such as “20%,” “80%,” or anysetting therebetween), selecting a substantive humidity sensitivitysetting or value (i.e., a setting other than “OFF,” such as a “LOW,”“MED,” or “HIGH” setting) of the selectable humidity sensitivity inputmechanism 26, and any substantive (i.e., not an “OFF” setting, ifavailable) of the selectable time input mechanism 24. In the first automode of the control 10, the control 10 may be operable or configured toautomatically activate and/or deactivate the ventilation mechanism 12based on logic or one or more algorithms programmed into the control 10,such as stored in the memory 18 thereof.

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that when set in thefirst auto mode by a user via the interface 22, the control 10automatically activates (e.g., turns “on”) the ventilation mechanism 12based on, at least partially, the humidity information provided by thehumidity sensor; e.g. based at least partially on temperature, humidity,time of day etc., or changes/rates in such parameters.

The control 10 may be operable to automatically activate (e.g., turns“on”) the ventilation mechanism 12 based on, at least partially, achange/rate of change in the humidity level (e.g., a rate of change in arise in the humidity level) as affected by the sensitivity level inputby the user via the selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26.The control 10 may be operable to automatically activate (e.g., turns“on”) the ventilation mechanism 12 based on, at least partially, arelative humidity level that is about or above the relative humiditylevel input by the user via the selectable humidistat input mechanism28.

The control 10 may determine the change (e.g. increase/decrease) inrelative humidity by, at least in part, receiving information about thechange in relative humidity from the atmospheric sensor 20. The control10 may determine the change n relative humidity by, at least in part,receiving two or more readings of relative humidity information from theatmospheric sensor 20 and calculating or otherwise utilizing theinformation to determine the change in relative humidity level.

The control 10 may determine a rate of change in the relative humiditylevel (e.g., rate of increase/decrease in humidity) by, at least inpart, receiving information about the rate of change in the relativehumidity level information from the atmospheric sensor 20. The control10 may determine the rate of change in the relative humidity level by,at least in part, receiving two or more readings of relative humidityinformation from the atmospheric sensor 20 over a period of time andcalculating or otherwise utilizing the information to determine the rateof change in the relative humidity level.

As described above, the control 10 may be configured or operable suchthat the sensitivity level input by the user via the selectablesensitivity input mechanism 26 is “dynamic” such that the input relativehumidity sensitivity level corresponds to a range of sensitivity values.The control 10 may be configured or operable such that the control 10utilizes a sensitivity level within the range of sensitivity valuesthat, based on relatively recent sensor readings, e.g., temperatureshumidity levels etc. sensed by the atmospheric sensor 20, increases thelikelihood that a) high humidity events will trigger or result inautomatic activation of the ventilation mechanism 12; and b) only highhumidity events trigger or result in automatic activation of theventilation mechanism 12 (i.e., environmental conditions do not triggerautomatic activation).

With reference to FIG. 4, the control 10 (FIG. 1) may be operable orconfigured such that when set in the first auto mode by a user via theinterface 22 (FIG. 1), the control automatically deactivates (e.g.,turns “off”) a previously activated ventilation mechanism by utilizing(e.g., with or one or more algorithms programmed into the control)sensed atmospheric conditions, e.g., relative humidity information fromthe sensor 20 (FIG. 1) and the time value input set by the user via theselectable time input mechanism 24.

The control may be operable or configured to automatically deactivate orturn off the ventilation mechanism when the control determines:

-   -   a) the expiration of the time value input set by the user via        the selectable time input mechanism 24 (FIG. 2), e.g. determined        with respect to a time measured beginning from for example a        time T1 such as the start of the activation of the ventilation        mechanism 12;    -   b) a relative humidity level sensed by the sensor 20 (FIG. 1) is        about or less than a first threshold relative humidity level 76;        and    -   c) the sensed relative humidity level is either:        -   i) less than a second threshold relative humidity level 78            (e.g., at a time T3 of line segment “A” in FIG. 4); or        -   ii) between the first threshold relative humidity 76 and the            second threshold relative humidity levels 78 (e.g., time T4            of line segment “B” in FIG. 4).

In operation, the control 10 continuously samples the environment bytaking atmospheric readings of the environment using sensor 20. Based onprogrammed actuation logic, utilizing the various user input settings,the control 10 may activate the ventilation mechanism at time T1 andactivation level 72 corresponding to a measured RH. The control 10, whenoperating in automatic mode, will then continue to monitor atmosphericconditions and determine when the ventilation mechanism should bedeactivated. The control 10's deactivation programming logic in oneembodiment can use the user's time input setting to prescribe a minimumactivation time for the ventilation mechanism. Based on the time inputsetting, once activated the ventilation mechanism will remain activatedfor at least the amount of time indicated by the time input setting.Once the control 10 determines that the minimum amount of time hasexpired, it next evaluates whether the remaining deactivationrequirements have been satisfied. If the control 10 determines that thecurrently sensed RH is at or below the second threshold Level 78 oncethe minimum time has expired, then the control 10 will deactivate theventilation mechanism. If this condition is not met, the control 10 thenproceeds to monitor the RH and records the time at which the RH drops toa first threshold level 76, which may be a function of the activationlevel 72, max level 74 and/or the start level 70. The control 10continues to monitor the RH for a period of time T5. If the currentlysensed RH drops to less than or equal to the second threshold level 78,then the control 10 deactivates the ventilation mechanism at T3.Otherwise, the control 10 deactivates the ventilation mechanism aftertime period T5 has expired regardless of the level of the currentlysensed RH. Effectively, the control 10 determines that if after time T5,which is measured from when the currently sensed RH drops to the firstthreshold level 76, the RH has not dropped to the second threshold level78 or less, it is inefficient to continue operating the ventilationmechanism since the humidity level is not effectively dropping anyfurther.

The start relative humidity level 70 at the start time T0 is therelative humidity sensed by the sensor 20 generally prior to a beginningof a rise in the humidity level. For example, generally prior to and atT0 the ambient humidity of an area may have relatively small and slowchanging humidity levels, e.g., certain predetermined time periods;e.g., the controller may operably monitor the ambient humidity in, forexample, 5 second intervals.

The activation humidity level 72 at T1 is the relative humidity sensedby the atmospheric sensor 20 generally after a relatively larger rise inthe humidity level compared to the relative smaller ambient changes inhumidity level. For example, the controller operably monitoring theambient humidity in, for example, 5 second intervals, may determine arelatively greater and faster changing humidity level compared to aprior interval, thereby (provided any other conditions are met, e.g.,above the selected humidity level setting) triggering activation of theventilation mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first threshold relative humidity level 76 maybe a humidity value between the start relative humidity level 70 that issensed at the start time T0 and a maximum relative humidity level 74that is sensed by the sensor after the start time T0. The firstthreshold relative humidity level 76 is the midpoint between the startrelative humidity level 70 that is sensed by the sensor at the starttime T0 and a maximum relative humidity level 74 that is sensed by thesensor after the start time T0. For example, the first thresholdrelative humidity level 76 may be selected as the average of relativehumidity levels from the start relative humidity level 70 to the maximumrelative humidity level 74 or even some percentage from the start ormaximum relative humidity levels, 70 or 74, respectively. As can beappreciated, the first threshold level may be selected as a function ofone or more of the start activation and/or maximum relative humiditylevels.

The second threshold relative humidity level 78 is determined by thecontrol through, or by way of, logic programmed into the control (e.g.,stored in memory) using the humidity values sensed by the humiditysensor and on the first threshold level. For example, the secondthreshold relative humidity level 78 is a humidity level value that isbased upon, or at least related to, the start relative humidity level 70that is sensed by the sensor at the start time T0. For example, thesecond threshold relative humidity level 78 is a humidity level valuethat is a percentage of the start humidity level 70 that is sensed bythe sensor at the start time T0. The second threshold relative humiditylevel 78 may be about 110% of the start humidity level 70. It should beappreciated that the second threshold level, similar to the firstthreshold level, may be selected as a function of one or more of thestart, activation, max and/or first threshold levels.

As shown by the line segment “A” in FIG. 4, the control may be operableor configured such that when the control determines the ventilationmechanism should be deactivated because the sensed relative humiditylevel is less than the second threshold relative humidity level 78, thecontrol may be operable or configured to deactivate the ventilationmechanism at the time T3 when the sensed relative humidity level isfirst determined, detected or sensed to be less than or equal to thesecond threshold relative humidity level 78.

As shown by the line segment “B” in FIG. 4, the control may be operableor configured such that when the control determines the ventilationmechanism should be deactivated at time T4 because the sensed relativehumidity level is between the first and second threshold relativehumidity levels 76, 78 and the declining level timeout period T5 hasexpired. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 the declining level timeoutperiod T5 may be a fixed period of time programmed into the control,such as saved in the memory of the control that extends (i.e., runs)from the time T2 when the sensed relative humidity level is firstdetermined, detected or sensed to be equal to or less than the firstthreshold level levels 76, (and expires at time T4, when the controldeactivates the ventilation mechanism). The declining level timeoutperiod T5 expires at a time T4 that is about ten minutes from the timeT2 when the sensed relative humidity level is first determined to bebetween the first and second threshold relative humidity levels 76, 78.The control 10 may be operable or configured to keep the ventilationmechanism 12 activated despite the timeout period at having expired, ifdetected changes in the humidity level are generally large. When thehumidity changes are generally small, this timeout will expire, and theventilation mechanism 12 will be deactivated. Advantageously this allowsthe control 10 to determine whether the ventilation mechanism isefficiently operating and continuing to reduce the humidity level by anadequate amount.

As depicted in FIG. 5, a method 200 for automatically turning off aventilation mechanism that was turned on at an activation time to managerelative humidity in an area is depicted. The method 200 may include acontrol receiving sensed relative humidity information sensed in thearea 202 and receiving a runtime input. The control may receive a runtime input corresponding to a period of time extending from theactivation time of the ventilation mechanism 204. As shown in FIG. 5,the method 200 may then include utilizing the sensed relative humidityinformation and the run time timeout period input to automatically turnoff the ventilation mechanism 206; e.g., a countdown fan timer, aventilation timer, or the like.

As also shown in FIG. 5, the method 200 may include determining that therun time timeout period input has expired 208. In such an embodiment ofthe method 200, may include turning off the ventilation mechanism 206appear the timeout period has expired if determining the first sensedrelative humidity level sensed in the area is about or less than a firstthreshold relative humidity level 210. Alternatively, the method 200 mayturn off the ventilation mechanism 206 determining that the first sensedrelative humidity level is either: i) about or less than a secondthreshold relative humidity level; or ii) between about the firstthreshold relative humidity level and second threshold relative humiditylevel 212 after the timeout period has expired.

The control may be operable or configured to include manual operation ormanual override of the control when the control is set in the first automode. For example, the control may be operable or configured such thatwhen set in the first auto mode via the interface and the ventilationmechanism is deactivated (i.e., turned “off”), user actuation oroperation of the manual command mechanism 30 will manually activate(i.e., turn “on”) the ventilation mechanism 12 for the time value inputby the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24. Additionally,the control 10 may be operable or configured such that if at or beforethe expiration of the time value (initiated by actuation of the manualcommand mechanism 30) the control 10 automatically determines whetherthe ventilation mechanism 12 should be activated (e.g., via the logicdescribed above), the first auto mode of the control 10 may control ortake over and keep the ventilation mechanism 12 activated until thecontrol automatically determines the ventilation mechanism 12 should bedeactivated (e.g., according to the logic described above). Similarly,if the ventilation mechanism 12 has been manually turned on via useractuation or operation of the manual command mechanism 30, and the firstauto mode of the control 10 “agrees” and determines the ventilationmechanism 12 should be on, the control 10 may ignore a subsequentactuation or operation of the manual command mechanism 30 to manuallyturn-off the ventilation mechanism 12 (i.e., the first auto mode of thecontrol 10 may ignore the manual command mechanism 30 and keep theventilation mechanism 12 activated until the logic of the control 10determines the ventilation mechanism 12 should be deactivated).

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that when set in thefirst auto mode via the interface 22 and the ventilation mechanism 12 isactivated (i.e., turned “on”) according to the logic described above,user actuation or operation of the manual command mechanism 30 maymanually deactivate (i.e., turn “off”) the ventilation mechanism 12(i.e., disable the automatic activation of the first auto mode of thecontrol 10). The control 10 may be operable or configured such that useractuation of the manual command mechanism 30 will deactivate theventilation mechanism 12 for a length of time equal to the time valueinput by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24.Alternatively, the control 10 may be operable or configured such thatuser actuation of the manual command mechanism 30 deactivates the firstauto mode of the control 10. The first auto mode may be manuallydeactivated by the operation of the manual command mechanism 30 untilthe logic of the first auto mode determines the ventilation mechanism 12should be turned off (i.e., the first auto mode agrees that theventilation mechanism 12 should be deactivated). Once the logic of thefirst auto mode agrees with the manual deactivation of the ventilationmechanism 12, the manual override of the first auto mode of the control10 (via actuation of the manual command mechanism 30) may be canceled orconcluded and the automatic operation of the first auto mode mayprevail, take over or otherwise control the control 10 thereafter.

The first auto mode of the control 10 may be operable or configured toinclude a short duration high humidity event protection feature thatdeactivates the ventilation mechanism 12 before the expiration of thetime value input by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24.Some short duration high humidity events result in changes in humiditythat include sufficient metrics such that the first auto modeautomatically activates the ventilation mechanism 12 (e.g., according tothe logic described above). However, if the user has input a relativelylarge time value via the selectable time input mechanism 24, shortduration high humidity events may result in the ventilation mechanism 12being activated longer than is needed to sufficiently ventilate or lowerthe relative humidity of the treatment area. This could result in theunnecessary or excess activation of the ventilation mechanism 12resulting in wasted energy and unnecessary ventilation noise. The shortduration high humidity event protection feature of the first auto modeof the control 10 may reduce or eliminate the wasted energy and excessventilation noise when activation of the ventilation mechanism 12 forthe entire time value input by the user via the selectable time inputmechanism 24 is not necessary.

For example, the short duration high humidity event protection featureof the first auto mode of the control 10 may be operable or configuredto deactivate the ventilation mechanism 12 before the expiration of thetime value input by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24when the automatic mode determines that the ventilation mechanism 12should be deactivated (e.g., via the logic described above) within apre-set or programmed amount of time after the immediately previousactivation of the ventilation mechanism 12. Stated differently, ifwithin a predetermined amount of time after automatic activation thecontrol 10 determines that the ventilation mechanism could bedeactivated, then the short duration high humidity event protectionfeature of the control 10 may ignore the minimal run time of theventilation mechanism prescribed by a user via input 24. Thedeactivation pre-set or programmed time of the short duration highhumidity event protection feature of the first auto mode of the control10 may be hard coded e.g. a fixed amount of time programmed in thecontrol 10. In some other embodiments, the deactivation pre-set time ofthe short duration high humidity event protection feature of the firstauto mode of the control 10 may be related to or based on, at least inpart, how high a humidity level sensed by the sensor 20 rises above theambient level. Additionally, the short protection mode can also beautomatically initiated/enabled based on how much the humidity levelrises above the ambient level. In some other such embodiments, thedeactivation pre-set time of the short duration high humidity eventprotection feature of the first auto mode of the control 10 may berelated to or based on, at least in part, the time value input by theuser via the selectable time input mechanism 24; e.g., may be apercentage of the time value input by the user via the selectable timeinput mechanism 24.

A second auto mode of the control 10 may be input, set, initiated orotherwise selected by a user by inputting or selecting the “OFF” ornon-substantive setting of the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28,selecting a substantive humidity sensitivity setting or value (i.e., asetting other than “OFF,” such as a “LOW,” “MED,” or “HIGH” setting) ofthe selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26, and anysubstantive (i.e., not an “OFF” setting, if available) of the selectabletime input mechanism 24. In the second auto mode of the control 10, thecontrol 10 may be operable or configured to automatically activateand/or deactivate the ventilation mechanism 12 based on logic or one ormore algorithms programmed into the control 10, such as stored in thememory 18 thereof, in a substantially similar way as in the first automode described above (e.g., in both automatic operation and manualoverride operation of the control 10).

One difference between the first auto mode and the second auto mode ofthe control 10 may be the “OFF” or non-substantive relative humiditylevel input via the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 by theuser. In automatic operation of the control 10 in the second auto mode,the control 10 may be operable or configured (e.g., logic oralgorithms(s) programmed therein) to eliminate determining whether arelative humidity level sensed or detected by the atmospheric sensor 20is above the level input, set or selected by the user via the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28 (as the user has not input or selected asubstantive relative humidity level) e.g., operating in a fullyautomatic mode without an ambient humidity threshold/set-off.

A humidistat mode of the control 10 may be input, set, initiated orotherwise selected by a user by, e.g. inputting or selecting asubstantive relative humidity setting of the selectable humidistat inputmechanism 28 (i.e., a setting other than “OFF,” such as “20%,” “80%,” orany setting therebetween), selecting the “OFF” or a non-substantivehumidity sensitivity setting of the selectable humidity sensitivityinput mechanism 26, and any substantive (i.e., not an “OFF” setting, ifavailable) of the selectable time input mechanism 24. In the humidistatmode of the control 10, the control 10 may be operable or configured(e.g., contain logic or one or more algorithms programmed into thecontrol 10) to provide an automatic humidistat function wherein theventilation mechanism 12 is cycled on or activated when the relativehumidity detected by the sensor 18 is above a relative humidity settinginput or set by the user via the selectable humidistat input mechanism28.

Once the control 10 is set or input into the humidistat mode, a user mayallow the control 10 to automatically activate and deactivate theventilation mechanism 12 based on, or in consideration of, at least inpart, the detected, sensed or measured relative humidity by the sensor20. The automatic operation of the control 10 in the humidistat mode maybe based on or otherwise operate on one or more time cycles that areprogrammed into the control. The time cycles of the automatic operationof the control 10 in the humidistat mode may be based on a fixed amountof time, such as a one-hour time cycles.

The control 10 may be operable or configured to provide for automaticoperation in the humidistat mode. The operation of the control 10 in theautomatic humidistat mode activates or otherwise causes the ventilationmechanism 12 to turn on (i.e., actively ventilate or otherwise lower therelative humidity of the treatment area) when the sensor 20 detects orsenses a relative humidity level within the treatment area that is abovethe user-input or set relative humidity setting of the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28. After automatically activating theventilation mechanism 12 due to a sensed relative humidity above thatinput or set by the user via the selectable humidistat input mechanism28, the control 10 may keep the ventilation mechanism 12 activated or“on” (e.g., a load applied thereto) for the time value input or set bythe user via the selectable time input mechanism 24 during the time. Thetime cycle programmed in the control 10 may be equal to or greater thanthe largest time value setting available to be input or set by the uservia the selectable time input mechanism 24. The control 10 may commenceor otherwise start the time cycle associated with the automatichumidistat mode when the ventilation mechanism 12 is activated.

The control 10 is operable or configured to deactivate or otherwise turnoff the ventilation mechanism 12 (e.g., no longer apply a load thereto)when the amount of time the ventilation mechanism 12 is active meets orexceeds the time value input or set by the user via the selectable timeinput mechanism 24. In such an embodiment, the control 10 may beoperable or configured to maintain the ventilation mechanism 12 in an“off” state (i.e., deactivated) until any remaining time of the timecycle associated with the automatic humidistat mode expires (i.e., ifthe input time value is less than the pre-programmed time cycle). Oncean initial humidistat cycle has expired and the control 10 remains setin the automatic humidistat mode, the control 10 may be operable orconfigured to automatically “look” for a sensed relative humidity levelabove the input or set relative humidity setting of the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28 and, if such a relative humidity value issensed or detected, initiate a subsequent humidistat cycle (i.e.,initiate a time cycle and activate the ventilation mechanism 12). Thetriggered subsequent automatic humidistat cycle (i.e., the control 10detects a relative humidity above the relative humidity setting inputvia the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28) will again activatethe ventilation mechanism 12 for the time value input by the user viathe selectable humidistat input mechanism 28 and start or initiate thetime cycle. In this way, the automatic humidistat mode of the control 10may be operable or configured to activate the ventilation mechanism 12during at least a portion of time cycles beginning when the control 10detects a relative humidity above the relative humidity setting inputvia the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28.

The control 10 may provide for manual operation or override of thecontrol 10 in the automatic humidistat mode. The control 10 may beoperable or configured to allow a user to manually instruct the control10 to activate the ventilation mechanism 12 when the control is set inthe automatic humidistat mode. The control 10 may be operable orconfigured such that user operation of the manual command mechanism 30when the control 10 is set in the humidistat mode and the control 10 hasnot activated the ventilation mechanism 12, is active (i.e., turns “on”the ventilation mechanism 12 for the time value input or set by the uservia the selectable time input mechanism 24.

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that user operation ofthe manual command mechanism 30 when the control 10 is set in theautomatic mode humidistat and has already activated the ventilationmechanism 12 (i.e., the ventilation mechanism 12 is “on”) deactivatesthe ventilation mechanism 12 (i.e., turns “off” the ventilationmechanism 12) for the time value input or set by the user via theselectable time input mechanism 24. The system may then revert back tothe automatic operation of the humidistat mode once the time valve hasexpired by “looking” for a sensed relative humidity level above theinput or set relative humidity setting of the selectable humidistatinput mechanism 28.

An air cycle mode of the control 10 may be input, set, initiated orotherwise selected by a user by inputting or selecting the “AIR CYCLE”setting of the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28, and anysubstantive time value (i.e., not an “OFF” setting, if available) of theselectable time input mechanism 24. The control 10 may be operable orconfigured such that if the “AIR CYCLE” setting of the selectablehumidistat input mechanism 28 is input by the user (along with anysubstantive time value of the selectable time input mechanism 24), thecontrol 10 may operate in the air cycle mode regardless of the settingof the selectable humidity sensitivity input mechanism 26.

The air cycle mode of the control 10 may be operable or configured(e.g., contain logic or one or more algorithms programmed into thecontrol 10) to provide ventilation of the treatment area via theventilation mechanism 12 for a set period of time per a cycle timeprogrammed into the control 10 (e.g., a predetermined cycle timespecified by a user or pre-set at the factory). The predetermined cycletime programmed in the control 10 associated with the air cycle mode maybe equal to or greater than the largest time value available to be inputor set by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24. Thecontrol 10 may commence or otherwise start the time cycle associatedwith the air cycle mode when the ventilation mechanism 12 is activated.

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that manual actuationof the manual command mechanism 30 is necessary to activate or initiatethe air cycle mode. The control 10 may be operable or configured suchthat when the interface 22 inputs, sets, initiates or otherwise selectsthe air cycle mode (as described above, for example), the controldeactivates or otherwise turns “off” the ventilation mechanism 12 if theventilation mechanism 12 is active (i.e., activated, running orotherwise “on”) and initiates the air cycle mode.

When the control 10 is set into the air cycle mode via the interface 12,manual actuation of the manual command mechanism 30 may commence orotherwise start the time cycle associated with the air cycle mode andactivate (i.e., turns “on”) the ventilation mechanism 12 for the timevalue input by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24.After activation of the ventilation mechanism 12 via the air cycle mode,the control 10 may be operable or configured to maintain or keep theventilation mechanism 12 activated until the time value input by theuser via the selectable time input mechanism 24 expires or the usermanually actuates the manual command mechanism 30. Once the time valueinput by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24 expires orthe user manually actuates the manual command mechanism 30, the control10 may be operable or configured to deactivate the ventilation mechanism12.

When the control 10 deactivates the ventilation mechanism 12 during theair cycle mode due to the expiration of the time value input by the uservia the selectable time input mechanism 24 (i.e., the manual commandmechanism 30 was not actuated), the control 10 may be operable orconfigured to maintain the ventilation mechanism 12 in a deactivated or“off” state until the remaining time of the time cycle associated withthe air cycle mode expires (i.e., if the input time is less than thetime cycle). Thereafter, the air cycle mode of the control 10 mayautomatically continue (e.g., if the user does not change pertinentinputs via the interface 22) by performing another phase or sequence ofthe ventilation mechanism 12 being activated for the time value input bythe user for the predetermined cycle time associated with the air cyclemode, and then the ventilation mechanism 12 being deactivated for theremaining time of the predetermined cycle time. In this way, the aircycle mode will perform cycles of activating the ventilation mechanism12 for a portion of the predetermined cycle time associated with the aircycle mode, and deactivating the ventilation mechanism 12 for theremaining portion of the predetermined cycle time. Stated differently,the air cycle mode of the control 10 may be operable to automaticallyactivate the ventilation mechanism for the period of time correspondingto the run time input of the time selectable time input mechanism 24during consecutively repeating predetermined cycle time periodsprogrammed into the control 10. The control 10 may include a visual ortactile indication, such as on the interface, when operating in the aircycle mode (i.e., after the manual command mechanism 30 has beenactuated and the time cycle is counting down). It should also beappreciated that the predetermined cycle time could be a variable timeand depend, e.g., on time of day or sensed humidity.

The control 10 may be operable or configured such that when in the aircycle mode, manual actuation of the manual command mechanism 30 by theuser while the ventilation mechanism 12 is activated (i.e., “on”)cancels the air cycle mode (i.e., actuation of the manual commandmechanism 30 would be required to restart the air cycle mode). Thecontrol 10 may be operable or configured such that when in the air cyclemode, manual actuation of the manual command mechanism 30 by the userwhile the ventilation mechanism 12 is deactivated (i.e., “off”)initiates the cycle time and activates the ventilation mechanism 12 forthe time value input by the user via the selectable time input mechanism24 (i.e., starts a cycle time and activates the ventilation mechanism12)

The timer mode may be input, set, initiated or otherwise selected by auser inputting or selecting the “OFF” or a non-substantive humiditysetting of the selectable humidistat input mechanism 28, the “OFF” or anon-substantive humidity sensitivity setting of the selectable humiditysensitivity input mechanism 26, and any substantive time value (i.e.,not an “OFF” setting, if available) of the selectable time inputmechanism 24. The timer mode of the control 10 may be operable orconfigured (e.g., contain logic or one or more algorithms pre-programmedinto the control 10) to operate as a countdown timer for the activationtime (i.e., “on” time) of the ventilation mechanism 12. Stateddifferently, the timer mode of the control 10 may operate theventilation mechanism 12 only for a time period equal to the time valueinput by the user via the selectable time input mechanism 24. Thecontrol 10 may be operable or configured such that when the control 10is set or input into the timer mode via the interface 22, manualactuation of the manual command mechanism 30 will activate theventilation mechanism 12 (i.e., turn “on” the ventilation mechanism 12)for the time value input by the user via the selectable time inputmechanism 24. After the expiration of the time value input by the uservia the selectable time input mechanism 24, the control 10 maydeactivate the ventilation mechanism 12 and only reactivate theventilation mechanism 12 if the manual command mechanism 30 issubsequently actuated. The control 10 may be operable or configured suchthat when set in the timer mode and the ventilation mechanism 12 isactivated (i.e., turned “on”), subsequent actuation of the manualcommand mechanism 30 will deactivate (i.e., turn “off”) the ventilationmechanism 12.

The control 10 may include one or more aspects thereof being operablycoupled or in communication with an occupancy sensor that is operable orconfigured to automatically control the activation and deactivation ofan illumination mechanism. The combination of the atmospheric sensor 20and the occupancy sensor may provide improved performance over astandard occupancy sensor by utilizing the relative humidity informationas an additional indication that an area is occupied (and therefore thedetermination that the illumination mechanism should be, or remain,activated).

As shown in FIG. 6, a prior art method 300 in connection withillumination or lighting occupancy sensor is commonly used in areas,such as areas that are subjected to high humidity events (e.g.,bathrooms or shower stalls), to control the activation and deactivationof illumination mechanism in the area. At a basic level, occupancysensors are operable or configured to automatically activateillumination mechanism when motion/infrared is detected within amonitored area and deactivate the illumination mechanism whenmotion/heat is no longer detected within the monitored area, as shown inFIG. 6. Standard occupancy sensors commonly fail, however, bydeactivating the illumination mechanism while a user or occupant ispresent within particular sections of the area that the occupancysensors cannot “see” or effectively sense or detect the occupant. Forexample, passive infrared occupancy sensors require line of sight todetect an occupant in relation to the sensor. In many bathrooms, thereis a shower curtain or shower door that effectively blocks the line ofsight needed for passive infrared occupancy sensors to properly detectoccupancy. As a result, in these situations the standard occupancysensor will improperly or incorrectly deactivate (i.e., turn “off”) theillumination mechanism controlled by the occupancy sensor while theuser/occupant is within the shower.

One option to overcome the failure of standard occupancy sensors toproperly detect occupancy is to increase the delayed off time or timeoutperiod of the illumination mechanism a sufficient amount that ensuresthe illumination mechanism stays activated for a time period long enoughfor the user/occupant to complete their activity within the area (e.g.,complete a shower), as illustrated in FIG. 6. This scheme, however, canlead to increase energy use by the illumination mechanism when there isno shower or other high humidity event taking place (i.e., nouser/occupant present but “hidden” within the area). Another option toovercome the failure of standard occupancy sensors to properly detectoccupancy is by using occupancy sensing or detecting technology otherthan passive infrared technologies, such as ultrasonic detection. Whilesome alternative technology schemes may be effective, they are typicallyimpractical due to relatively high costs.

As shown in FIG. 7, a method 400 in connection with an improvedoccupancy sensor/control may be operable or configured such that thesensor 20 of the control 10 provides an additional input to the logic oralgorithm of the improved occupancy sensor/control to more accuratelyand efficiently control at least the deactivation of illuminationmechanism controlled by the occupancy sensor/control. As shown in FIG.7, the logic or algorithm of the improved occupancy sensor/control mayactivate 442 the illumination mechanism by utilizing motion information(i.e., if motion is detected) 440. If motion is detected 440 by themotion sensor of the occupancy sensor/control, a motion thresholdthereof may be reduced 442 and a countdown timer or timeout may bestarted 442 or initiated. The timeout may be a period of time programmedinto the occupancy sensor/control (e.g., saved into memory 18 of control10) either predetermined at the factory or set by a user.

After the illumination mechanism is activated 442 by the occupancysensor/control, the occupancy sensor/control may further monitor anarea, and if motion is detected, the timeout period is reset 445 toextend the amount of time the illumination mechanism remains activatedand continue to monitor the area for motion. If, however, the occupancysensor/control does not sense motion, the occupancy sensor/control mayutilize relative humidity information from the sensor 20 of the control10 to determine whether the illumination mechanism should remainactivated. For example, in the exemplary illustrated embodiment in FIG.7, the occupancy sensor/control may be operable or configured to receiverelative humidity information from the sensor 20 and determine 444 ifthe sensed relative humidity is rising. If the occupancy sensor/controldetermines 444 the relative humidity information from the sensor 20indicates a rise in relative humidity (e.g., because a high humidityevent, such as a shower, is taking place), the occupancy sensor/controlmay be operable or configured to reset 446 the timeout period to extendthe amount of time the illumination mechanism remains activated, monitorthe area to sense motion, and, potentially, reduce 446 the motionthreshold of the motion sensor of the occupancy sensor/control.

As shown in FIG. 7, if the occupancy sensor/control determines 444 thatthe relative humidity information from the sensor 20 does not indicate arise in relative humidity (e.g., because a high humidity event is nottaking place), the occupancy sensor/control may be operable orconfigured to determine 448 if the timeout period has expired. In theexemplary embodiment in FIG. 7, if the occupancy sensor/controldetermines 448 the timeout period has not expired the occupancysensor/control may be operable or configured to monitor the area tosense motion. As also shown in FIG. 7, if the occupancy sensor/controldetermines 448 the timeout period has expired, the occupancysensor/control may be operable or configured to determine 450 whetherthe relative humidity information from the sensor 20 indicates that therelative humidity in the area is stable (e.g., because the previouslydetected high humidity event is still taking place).

As shown in FIG. 7, if the occupancy sensor/control determines 450 thatthe relative humidity information from the sensor 20 indicates that therelative humidity is stable, the occupancy sensor/control may beoperable or configured to reset 452 the timeout period to extend theamount of time the illumination mechanism remains activated and again“monitor the area to sense motion. If, however, the occupancysensor/control determines 450 that the relative humidity informationfrom the sensor 20 does not indicate that the relative humidity isstable the occupancy sensor/control may be operable or configured todeactivate the illumination mechanism. In this way, the occupancysensor/control may be operable or configured to deactivate theillumination mechanism when the timeout period (that commenced with aninitial detected or sensed movement of an occupant) expires, motion isno longer sensed or detected, and the relative humidity information fromthe sensor 20 indicates that the previously relative humidity levels arefalling (e.g., because the previously detected high humidity event, suchas a shower, has ended).

Other aspects of the disclosure may include the control operable toprovide a delayed off time to keep an exhaust fan ON for a minimumfixed, user adjustable, and/or adaptably determined amount of time. Inother aspects, the control may be operable to keep a fan on until thehumidity levels have fallen below the average fixed, user adjustable,and/or adaptably determined level of a humidity event. Further aspectsinclude the control limiting the total time that the fan is turned onbased on a fixed, user adjustable, and/or adaptably determined timelevel. In addition, aspects of the control may include turning off a fanwhen humidity levels return to a highly significant percentage (%) ofthe initial humidity level, providing a delayed off timeout whenhumidity levels return to a moderately significant percentage of theinitial humidity level and turns the load off when the delayed off timeis expired, turning a fan on automatically when excess is detected abovea humidity relative humidity exceeds a user defined threshold, andproviding a cycle mode that will cycle a fan on and off with a dutycycle, the duration and period of which are adjustable, e.g., useradjustable through a user interface on the control or remotely throughwireless communication. In still other aspects, the control may includea cycle mode that cycles a fan on and off with a duty cycle, which cyclecan be started and stopped by manual override. In still further aspects,the control may be operable for turning on and off the ventilationmechanism when the sensed humidity level drops below a predeterminedlimit, the humidity level drops below a predetermined percentage of theturn on level and below an average between a maximum humidity level andthe turn on humidity level or some humidity level in between a maximumhumidity level and turn on humidity level. Manually overriding of a fanmay be provided, which may include maintaining an override mode untilthe predetermined timeout period expires or an overriding conditionsmatches automatic conditions whether the fan is on or off.

A1. A wall mounted device for automatically controlling a ventilationmechanism to manage the relative humidity of an area, the devicecomprising: a housing configured to be installed within an electricalbox coupled to a wall of the area; a humidity sensor and an interfaceoperably coupled to the housing and operable to obtain a sensed humidityof the area, a relative humidity input, and a relative humiditysensitivity level input regarding a rate of change of relative humidity;a control disposed in the housing and operable to control activation ofthe ventilation mechanism based on sensed humidity information from thehumidity sensor, the relative humidity input, and the relative humiditysensitivity level input. A2. The wall mounted device of claim A1 furthercomprising a run time input operably coupled to the housing, and whereinthe control is further operable to control activation of the ventilationmechanism based the run time input.

B1. A control for automatically turning on a ventilation mechanism tomanage relative humidity in an area, the control comprising: wherein thecontrol is operable to receive relative humidity information sensed inthe area by at least one relative humidity sensor, wherein the controlis operable to dynamically set a relative humidity sensitivity levelregarding a rate of change of relative humidity, and operable toautomatically turn on the ventilation mechanism based on the dynamicallyset relative humidity sensitivity level and the sensed relative humidityinformation. B2. The control of claim B1, further comprising aninterface operable to obtain a relative humidity input, and wherein thecontrol is operable to automatically turn on the ventilation mechanismbased at least in part on the relative humidity level input, the sensedrelative humidity information, and the dynamically set relative humiditysensitivity level.

C1. An apparatus for automatically turn on and turning off a ventilationmechanism to manage relative humidity in an area, the apparatuscomprising: a control operable to receive relative humidity informationsensed in the area by at least one relative humidity sensor; and aninterface operably coupled to the control and operable to obtain inputsfrom a user, the inputs including a manual command mechanism, a run timeinput corresponding to a period of time, and at least one of a relativehumidity input corresponding to relative humidity value and a relativehumidity sensitivity level input corresponding to a rate of change ofrelative humidity, wherein the control is operable in an automatic modeto automatically turn on the ventilation mechanism based on the sensedrelative humidity information and at least one of the relative humidityinput and the relative humidity sensitivity level input, and operable inthe automatic mode to automatically turn off the ventilation mechanismbased on the sensed relative humidity information and at least the runtime input, wherein the control is operable to turn on the ventilationmechanism for the run time input when the ventilation mechanism wasautomatically turned off by the control and the manual command mechanismis actuated, and operable to resume operation according to the automaticmode thereafter, and wherein the control is operable to turn off theventilation mechanism when the ventilation mechanism was automaticallyturned on by the control and the manual command mechanism is actuatedfor the run time input or until the automatic mode would automaticallyturn off the ventilation mechanism, and operable to resume operationaccording to the automatic mode thereafter.

D1. A control for automatically activating a ventilation mechanism tomanage relative humidity in an area, the control comprising: aninterface operable to obtain a relative humidity input corresponding toa relative humidity level, and a run time input corresponding to aperiod of time, wherein the control is operable to receive relativehumidity information sensed in the area by at least one relativehumidity sensor, and wherein the control is operable to automaticallyturn on and off the ventilation mechanism over a predetermined period oftime based on the relative humidity input and the relative humidityinformation, and wherein a total run time over the predetermined periodof time being limited to the time corresponding to the run time input.

E1. A control for automatically controlling a ventilation mechanism tomanage relative humidity in an area, the control comprising: aninterface operable to obtain a run time input; and a motion sensor forobtaining motion information in the area, wherein the control isoperable to receive relative humidity information sensed in the area byat least one relative humidity sensor, and wherein the control isoperable to automatically turn on the ventilation based on the run timeinput, the sensed relative humidity information, and the motioninformation.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of thedisclosure may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the disclosure may take the form of anentirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (includingfirmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodimentcombining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, aspects of thedisclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied inone or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable programcode embodied thereon.

The arrangements, components, steps, aspects and features discussed orillustrated herein are only illustrative for the understanding of thedisclosure; and are not meant to limit the scope of the inventionsprovided herein.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative, and not restrictive. Numerous changes and modificationsmay be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims and the equivalents thereof. For example, theabove-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used incombination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be madeto adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of thevarious embodiments without departing from their scope. While thedimensions and metrics described herein are intended to define theparameters of the various embodiments, they are by no means limiting andare merely exemplary. Many other embodiments will be apparent to thoseof skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope ofthe various embodiments should, therefore, be determined with referenceto the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms“including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents ofthe respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in thefollowing claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. areused merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numericalrequirements on their objects. Also, the term “operably” in conjunctionwith terms such as coupled, connected, joined, sealed or the like isused herein to refer to both connections resulting from separate,distinct components being directly or indirectly coupled and componentsbeing integrally formed (i.e., one-piece, integral or monolithic).Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written inmeans-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted basedon 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless and until such claimlimitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statementof function void of further structure. It is to be understood that notnecessarily all such objects or advantages described above may beachieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, forexample, those skilled in the art will recognize that the systems andtechniques described herein may be embodied or carried out in a mannerthat achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages astaught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantagesas may be taught or suggested herein.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with onlya limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood thatthe invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, theinvention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations,alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretoforedescribed, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of theinvention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention havebeen described, it is to be understood that aspects of the disclosuremay include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, butis only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal language of the claims.

1. A user-configurable control for a ventilation mechanism having aplurality of differing user selected operational modes, the controlcomprising: a first user selectable input mechanism; a second userselectable input mechanism; a third user selectable input mechanism; anatmospheric sensor; and a controllably conductive switch in electricalconnection with the ventilation mechanism, wherein the first userselectable input mechanism is operable to provide a first input, thesecond user selectable input mechanism is operable to provide a secondinput, and the third user selectable input mechanism is operable toprovide a third input, and wherein the first, second and third inputsallow the user to configure the control to alter operation of theventilation mechanism according to one of the differing user selectedoperational modes.
 2. The user-configurable control according to claim1, wherein the control is operable to receive a sensed humidity levelfrom the atmospheric sensor and selectively control the controllablyconductive switch to alter operation of the ventilation mechanismaccording to each of the differing operational modes.
 3. Theuser-configurable control of claim 2, wherein the first input is a timesetting, the second input is a humidity setting, and the third input isa humidity sensitivity setting.
 4. The user-configurable control ofclaim 3, wherein: the time setting includes one of a first, a second, athird and a fourth time value setting; the humidity setting includes oneof an off setting, a cycle setting and a humidity value setting; thehumidity sensitivity setting includes one of an off setting, a lowhumidity sensitivity value setting, a medium humidity sensitivity valuesetting, and a high humidity sensitivity value setting.
 5. Theuser-configurable control of claim 4, wherein the differing userselected operational modes include a first user-selected operationalmode when the humidity setting is a humidity value setting and thesensitivity setting is a setting other than the off setting, and whereinthe control is configured in the first user-selected operational mode toturn off the ventilation mechanism after it was turned on at anactivation time when: a) a period of time extending from the activationtime corresponds to about the time value setting; b) the sensed humiditylevel is about or less than a first threshold humidity level; and c) thesensed humidity level is either: i) about or less than a secondthreshold humidity level different from the first threshold humiditylevel; or ii) between about the first threshold humidity level and thesecond threshold humidity level.
 6. The user-configurable control ofclaim 5, wherein the first threshold humidity level has a predeterminedrelationship to a sensed humidity level that is sensed about or beforethe activation time and a maximum sensed humidity level that is sensedafter the activation time.
 7. The user-configurable control of claim 6,wherein the first threshold humidity level is a midpoint between asensed humidity level sensed about or before the activation time and amaximum sensed humidity level that is sensed after the activation time.8. The user-configurable control of claim 5, wherein the secondthreshold humidity level has a predetermined relationship to a sensedhumidity level that is sensed about or before the activation time or amaximum sensed humidity level that is sensed after the activation time.9. The user-configurable control of claim 8, wherein the secondthreshold humidity level is about 10 percent greater than a sensedhumidity level that is about or before the activation time.
 10. Theuser-configurable control of claim 5, wherein the control is configuredin the first user-selected operational mode to turn off the ventilationmechanism after it was turned on at an activation time when the sensedhumidity level is between about the first threshold humidity level andthe second threshold humidity level after a predetermined period of timein addition to the time setting.
 11. The user-configurable control ofclaim 5, wherein the control is further configured in the firstuser-selected operational mode to turn on the ventilation mechanismbased on the humidity sensitivity setting and the sensed humidity level.12. The user-configurable control of claim 11, wherein the controlfurther comprises a manual command mechanism, and wherein the control isfurther configured to, upon activation of the manual command mechanism,turn on the ventilation mechanism for a time corresponding to the timesetting or to turn off the ventilation mechanism for a timecorresponding to the time setting, and thereafter return operation ofthe ventilation mechanism according to the to the first user-selectedoperational mode.
 13. The user-configurable control of claim 4, whereinthe controller is operable in a mode of operation to dynamically set ahumidity sensitivity setting regarding a rate of change of humidity, andoperable in a mode of operation to automatically turn on the ventilationmechanism based on the dynamically set humidity sensitivity level.
 14. Amethod for automatically turning off a ventilation mechanism that wasturned on at an activation time to manage humidity in an area, themethod comprising: receiving humidity information sensed in the area;receiving run time input; and utilizing the sensed humidity informationand the run time input to automatically turn off the ventilationmechanism when: a) a period of time after the activation timecorresponds to about the run time input; b) a sensed humidity level inthe area is about or less than a first threshold humidity level; and c)the sensed humidity level is either: i) about or less than a secondthreshold humidity level different from the first threshold humiditylevel; or ii) between about the first threshold humidity level and asecond threshold humidity level.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein thefirst threshold humidity level has a predetermined relationship to ahumidity level sensed in the area about or before the activation timeand a maximum humidity level sensed in the area after the activationtime.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first threshold humiditylevel is the midpoint between a humidity level sensed in the area aboutor before the activation time and the maximum humidity level sensed inthe area after the activation time.
 17. The method of claim 15, whereinthe second threshold humidity level has a predetermined relationship toa sensed humidity level in the area about or before the activation timeor a maximum humidity level in the area after the activation time. 18.The method of claim 17, wherein the second threshold humidity level isabout 10 percent greater than a humidity level sensed in the area aboutor before the activation time.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein thecontrol turns off the ventilation mechanism when the sensed humiditylevel is between about the first threshold humidity level and the secondthreshold humidity level after a predetermined period of time inaddition to the period of time after the activation time correspondingto about the run time input.
 20. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising installing a control in an electrical box remote from theventilation mechanism, the control operable to perform the method.